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REST APIs are rapidly gaining adoption amongst tech professionals due to their ease of use for end users and ease of maintenance for developers. However, developers don't always take into consideration API design best practices when deploying an API for their clients to consume. This talk will walk attendees through designing an API as well as what to do once the API is deployed.

There's more to shipping an API than getting code up and running for people to consume. It's important for developers to consider how the API will be used and get feedback on their API before they even start writing code. By involving end users in their design discussions, developers will gain valuable feedback and insight into how their clients would like to use the API. Ultimately, this feedback should be worked into the code that a developer plans to ship.

Once the API is out in the wild, developers will need to maintain it. Maintenance plans are a crucial step in API design, as an out of date API (or worse, an API with no documentation) isn't providing value to end users. Care should also be taken when discussing a new API version for people to use -- the higher the version number, the less faith consumers will have in your ability to ship a reliable API.

From humble beginnings as a PHP4 web developer in grade school, Amanda now works as a Developer Advocate at GitLab where she gets to share her passion for technology with others. When she's not speaking, writing, or shooing cats off her keyboard, you'll find her consuming APIs and IPAs.